<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Freedom in Flight (Ash and Dust Remix) by IreneADonovan</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25108519">Freedom in Flight (Ash and Dust Remix)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneADonovan/pseuds/IreneADonovan'>IreneADonovan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Remixes 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Dragons, Canon Disabled Character, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Charles Xavier in a Wheelchair, Erik is a Sweetheart, Flying, Injury Recovery, M/M, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:26:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,260</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25108519</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneADonovan/pseuds/IreneADonovan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eight months after his injury, Charles still dreams of flying. Erik is determined to make it happen.</p><p>Now with title art!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Remixes 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839742</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>X-Men Remix Madness 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Freedom in Flight (Ash and Dust Remix)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/gifts">flightinflame</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24661654">Ash and Dust</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame">flightinflame</a>.
        </li>

        <li>In response to a prompt by
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame">flightinflame</a>  in the  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/xmen_remix_madness2020">xmen_remix_madness2020</a>
          collection.
        </li>
    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is for my friend flightinflame, a somewhat smutty sequel to her Ash and Dust.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>Charles sat in his chair, staring up at the sky, grief threatening to crush him. Once he had soared free on the back of a dragon. Now he was earthbound, spine damaged beyond repair, a little more than half his body motionless and insensate.</p><p>Eight months after his fall, he could cope pretty well most days. His bones had healed, and he was learning to adapt. He was alive, he had his family, he had Erik. Erik, who had rescued him, risked his own life to keep him from dying a prisoner of war, who loved him without reservation even when Charles was being a moody bastard.</p><p>Erik, who still rode dragons.</p><p>Charles watched the dragons as they wheeled across the sky, heart aching, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. The blue, riderless, had been his own, and he still yearned to fly with her again. He'd seen in her eyes that she wished the same.</p><p>The red was Erik's, and Charles could just make out his dark leathers as he clung to the dragon's back, knew the fierce joy that would be on Erik's face. He closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer.</p><p>He was still sitting there, motionless on the balcony, when Erik returned. "Charles? What's wrong?"</p><p>"I was watching you ride," Charles said quietly.</p><p>Erik dropped to his knees, took Charles' hands. "I'm sorry." He'd shed his riding leathers, wore only the thin shirt and trousers that went beneath them, and he smelled of sun and sky.</p><p>Charles sighed. "You know I don't blame you."</p><p>"But I still blame me."</p><p>"I know, love. But I wish you wouldn't."</p><p>Erik said nothing for a long moment, then he lifted Charles' hands to his lips, kissing them tenderly. "I swear if there's a way for you to fly again, I'll find it."</p><p>"We both know it's impossible. Even if you could rig a way to strap me into a saddle, my legs were the main way I communicated with Blue, and they're gone." He pulled a hand free, struck at his thigh with a loosely-clenched fist. "Useless. Like I feel."</p><p>"You are far from useless, and you know it," Erik reproved gently. "You are the most brilliant man I have ever known, and the kindest. You saved Nina and I, when I scarcely deserved it. I love you, and I will do everything in my power to make your life better."</p><p>Charles watched as Erik squeezed his numb thigh, and he sighed. "I love you, too. It's just every time I think I've truly made peace with the paralysis, something happens that brings home how much I've lost all over again."</p><p>Erik started to say something, but Charles pressed a finger to his lips. "But I've gained things as well. If my legs were the price of having you and Nina in my life, it is one I cannot regret paying." Charles cupped Erik's chin in his hand. "Come to bed, love."</p><p>"It's the middle of the afternoon."</p><p>"Nina is with Logan in the stables, and Raven has David. We have time." Charles leaned forward and kissed Erik, gentle, with as much love as he could put into a simple touch of lips.</p><p>As their lips parted, Erik said, "So we do." He rose. "May I?"</p><p>Charles nodded. It had been months since he'd needed help, but he loved the intimacy of being in Erik's arms. He looped his arms around Erik's neck as Erik slid one arm around his back and the other under his knees.</p><p>Erik set him on the bed, kissed him again, then methodically stripped off his shirt. He dropped to his knees before Charles, slid his hands over Charles' bared chest. "You are so beautiful."</p><p>Charles blushed. He knew he'd added new layers of muscle to his arms and upper chest, but beautiful was a bit much.</p><p>Erik traced a circle around one nipple with his thumb, and Charles shivered in anticipation.</p><p>Erik continued to tease the one nipple with his fingers while he sucked gently at the other, and it didn't take long for Charles to be gasping and writhing under his touch, nor much longer than that before an electric release shuddered along the nerves that still functioned. He collapsed forward against Erik, boneless, nerve endings singing.</p><p>When he could think again, he pushed himself upright and kissed Erik again. "You are downright addictive" he said, still a little breathless.</p><p>"And you are downright easy."</p><p>"You like me that way," Charles teased. "And I think you are wearing too many clothes."</p><p> Erik rose, skinned out of his clothes with efficient grace. His body was long and lean, his tawny-fair skin scored with the scars of battle, and his cock, barely half-hard, was just ridiculously large. "Better?" he asked.</p><p>"Much. Come lie with me, and I'll take care of you." Charles lifted his legs onto the bed and rolled onto his side.</p><p>Erik lay down facing him, touched his temple lightly. "Share this with me."</p><p>Charles slid into Erik's mind, savoring his love's mental embrace. </p><p>But when he reached for Erik's cock, Erik's hand stopped his. <i>Charles, what's your range?</i></p><p>Charles frowned. <i>Pretty far. I've never tried to measure it.</i></p><p>
  <i>Could you do this, share my mind, while I ride?</i>
</p><p>Charles' eyes went wide with wonder. <i>Erik, that's <b>brilliant</b> That would work.</i></p><p>
  <i>We can try it tomorrow.<i></i></i>
</p><p>
      <i>Yes, you brilliant wonderful man. We will. But right now I have other plans.</i>
</p><p>
 He proceeded to show Erik just how much he loved him, and Erik shared every moment with him.
</p><p> <b> ~xXx~ </b> </p><p>Erik's idea worked. It wasn't quite the same, but it was marvellous nonetheless, and Charles often accompanied Erik to the training grounds.</p><p>But it seemed Erik hadn't forgotten his promise to find a way for Charles to fly, really fly, and one clear spring morning, when they went to the training ground, he saw Blue waiting for them, a saddle that looked more like a chair strapped to her back. Charles stared for a long moment. "Erik. This is a lovely thought, but you know it won't work."</p><p>"It will," Erik replied with certainty. "I've been working with her. Nina helped me communicate what I wanted and that it was for you."</p><p>Charles was speechless.</p><p>"Let's get you into the saddle, then I can explain better."</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>Erik made a soft clicking noise with his tongue, and Blue stretched out on her belly. He lifted Charles onto the saddle, fit his legs into the molded rests, then strapped them and his lower body firmly in place.</p><p>Blue lifted her head and swivelled it to look at him. Unlike Nina, he couldn't really communicate with animals, but he could feel her pleasure at having him on her back once again. He reached out, stroked her between the eyes, the way she liked, then he looked at Erik. "So how does this work?"</p><p>Erik handed him the reins. "You work the reins with one hand, and you use your other hand to guide her, the way you did with your legs."</p><p>Charles felt the tears start to stream down his face as he said, "Damn but I love you."</p><p>Erik kissed him, soft and sweet. "Ready to give it a try?"</p><p>Charles nodded, and Erik raced to his own dragon and swung into the saddle.</p><p>Charles set his hand on Blue's back, visualizing the moves his legs would make and translating them to his hand. Then he tugged gently on the reins and squeezed with his fingers.</p><p>Blue leapt for the sky.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please comment. This is a tough time for all of us, and a comment, no matter how rambling or how pithy, means more than you can imagine. Kudos are nice, but comments are gold. So please comment! (Even if it's just a 💜.)</p><p>Come join  <a href="https://discord.gg/XS8V5a8">our Discord</a>, X-Men X-traordinaire.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>